Stories of Our Life [Volume 1]

1: I Hear Footsteps (And I Wish They Were Yours)

December 19, 1927, Monday

New York City, New York, United States of America

Porpentina Goldstein—just Tina, please—walked out of the majestic Woolworth Building at precisely 6:00 pm. She came out of work pretty late tonight because of massive paperwork. Yes, the work of an Auror is never done. Ever since the Grindelwald Incident last year, several Aurors had quit, leaving many unfinished paperwork behind. Of course, Tina, being one of the Aurors that stayed, got almost half of those paperwork to finish. Hence, here she is. Out in the newly fallen blanket of snow that covered New York.

Tina tugged on her coat and wrapped it tighter around her as she walked down the steps of the MACUSA Building. She sighed as she walked down the pavement to her apartment building which stood only a few blocks away. Her sigh created a small cloud in the cold winter air. Her boots crunched as her feet tugged her through the snow. Usually, she would go into the nearest alley and Apparate straight to the front of her and her sister's apartment. But right now, she decided to enjoy the cold winter evening.

She melted into the crowd as she walked on. Her thoughts swirled in her mind. They were mostly about multiple things like: 'What did Queenie make for dinner?' or 'I really need to finish the paperwork.' or 'Is Queenie still going to Mr. Kowalski's bakery to see him?'

As she wondered about in her mind, a newfound thought entered it. She never thought of that—him—for a month now, at least. After his last letter, which came in last month, none followed after that. She sent multiple letters back to him and yet none returned to her. She almost thought that he had forgotten all about her.

"Teenie, he hasn't forgotten about you," Queenie had told her that night after reading her mind.

Tina was sitting by the window of their shared bedroom, waiting for an owl to arrive. It had been a week after he has sent him her last letter. That letter was the third one she had sent that week. But no reply came.

Newt Scamander. Tina hadn't thought about him ever since then. She simply assumed that he had fixed everything between him and Leta Lestrange and moved on, had forgotten about his promise to give her her copy of his book in person. Had forgotten about her. Of course, Queenie had objected against all those negative thoughts of hers, but she can never be sure.

——

Footsteps approach and I wish that they were yours

Even though I know that can't be right

Those feelings, of wanting to walk close by your side--

I find myself wishing for you to accept them

——

Tina stopped in her tracks. She had stopped at a corner of a street and she didn't know why. She looked around. Why? She thought she had heard footsteps. Very distinct footsteps, ones that she was very familiar with. There were a few people still walking around, Tina wasn't sure if she had heard right.

She shook her head. 'It's just my mind playing with me,' she thought and continued walking. She mixed in with the crowd again. As she walked, her mind wondered about Newt. Where was he right now? Is he alright? How was he doing back in England? How were his creatures? Has he finished his book? She sighed. She continued on, her mind replaying memories with him.

"I'll catch you, Tina..."

Tina blushed at the memory. It was of that day when she almost died that she knew that her feelings for this man had increased into something she couldn't even bring herself to describe. Queenie told her that she liked him ("And not just a friend, Teenie!"). Tina ignored her sister's comment, blushing, and pushed it back to the depths of her mind. She walked again.